What Makes a Mission Good
by garnet eyes
Summary: Some missions feel like far more trouble than they are actually worth. However, all of that can change very quickly. AU Cloud x Sephiroth.


Title: What Makes a Mission Good

Author: Garnet Eyes

Archived: fanfiction. net

Summary: Drawn out missions can undermine even the most patient individuals.

Rating: M

Pairings: Cloud x Sephiroth

Author Notes: Related to _The Only Success_ AU.

Disclaimers: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Squaresoft and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

The air inside the command tent was stifling at best. Although the SOLDIER was quite used to it by now, it was still a constant low level distraction to him. Granted, this was a ridiculous farce of a mission based on no real "information" save a few rumors that the General's contact in the Turks did not point out as being very credible. If there happened to be any rebels in this region, Sephiroth had not found them. Nor had any of the military units sent out with him. All of those assigned individuals also seemed to be deathly afraid of the silver warrior for reasons unknown, given that he had not once been overtly hostile to anyone no matter how badly his patience was frayed on this mission. Not even Zackary's presence seemed to completely alleviate the fear; since Fair was recalled to Midgar two weeks ago for some undisclosed reason it only seemed to make matters worse. Sephiroth's somewhat limited patience was being sorely tried every time a report came in, finding the runners all uncomfortable breathing the same air as him and always leaving the same information: no one had found a trace of rebel activity. For being considered a high priority mission, this was such an utter waste of resources that Sephiroth was mentally gearing up for a scathing rant at the next Shin-Ra upper-echelon meeting. It was not even as simple as only his time alone being wasted – every military and non-military personnel stationed at this semi-permanent encampment could be doing something far more practical and useful than sitting idly in discomfort.

With a heavy sigh, black leather clad hands moved up to rub pale temples, aggravation bubbling into what would undoubtedly become an excruciating tension headache within the hour. He didn't have to have good communication with the rest of the soldiers to know that _everyone_ was frustrated and tired of living in an encampment; the longer this went on the more likely it would be for foolish mistakes and accidents to occur. With the constant threat of monster attacks and the unlikely threat of rebel attacks, this mission was virtually at a stand still and it was mildly surprising that no soldier had managed to stupidly damage himself. Had Zackary still been with him in the northern continent's wilderness, he would have started a betting pool by now on who was most likely to injure himself first; the General thought he might have placed his own bet after witnessing a few foolhardy stunts.

A soft sound in the distance drew the SOLDIER from his irritable musings, causing his head to tilt as he attempted to identify the sound. Within a minute it was close enough to identify as a helicopter, which was rather unexpected. There had been no incoming message of any kind of backup or supply shipment. However, the only possibility was that of a Shin-Ra vehicle and the General knew it. He waited only until the sound was close enough for the lower ranks to pick up on before striding out of the command tent and immediately shielding his feline gaze from the sun's harsh glare off of the surrounding tundra as he attempted to locate the incoming helicopter. Confirming visual with the vehicle coming up from the south, the SOLDIER adjusted his sword at his side and strode out to the edge of the encampment most likely to serve as the temporary landing pad. This wasn't a recall or there would be more helicopters and that meant that whatever this concerned had better be important information concerning _actual rebels_ or Sephiroth would take out his stress on whatever hapless messenger was sent to him.

The helicopter did not even get within five meters of the ground before one extremely bright-faced brunette leapt out and turned back toward the landing vehicle. Jade eyes blinked, ignoring the long silver strands whipping around in the turbulent air, as the General hovered between being happy and furious that his friend had returned. Once the helicopter landed, three Turks exited – _three_ – followed by a short blonde elite with a sword hoisted onto his back that was specially made just for the young man. Ignoring all else, the silver warrior scowled and drew his own blade. The grating of metal to sheathe was drowned out by the armored helicopter taking off after unloading the men, but brightly glowing blue eyes caught the movement anyway and within moments the special broadsword was comfortably in both hands.

Sephiroth did not need to wait, charging at the young blonde without wasting a second, and was met halfway by a similar charge. Swords ground to a halt against one another, the strength behind the attacks equaled out. Off to the side, almost completely unnoticed, Zackary whistled and backed out of the way with the Turks at his side. The General did not bother to keep track of them any longer, focusing instead on the unchecked aggression coursing through his veins. He did not fully recall raising his right arm, but the fire attack exploded, sending both SOLDIERs some distance in opposite directions. Feline eyes never left cool blue, a low purr rumbling in the older male's throat as those pale eyes lost the dull apathy that had muddied them and gained that particularly cunning calculating spark that glittered through the Mako glow.

Rushing the young blonde, the silver warrior did not bother with eloquence this time as he thrust his blade deliberately aiming for the teen's head. A last-minute sidestep and cross swipe toward the General's abdomen prevented any damage or follow-up attack. Undeterred, the older SOLDIER dodged and sent a fireball toward the younger male as he once again rushed forward.

The teen stood in wait, allowing the fire attack to strike him before taking three quick steps backward, and Masamune met resistance in the form of a half liquefied sheet of ice shaped like the blonde where he had been standing. The ice shattered as it fell in sections onto the hard earth below, barely noted, while the silver warrior vaulted over the shards and swung for the younger elite's head once more. The shorter male leapt up to meet the attack, his complicated broadsword singing as it matched the incoming strike. Their blades sparked where they met, forcibly rebounding from opposing strengths, before arcing to meet once more for a similar fate. In the back of his mind, the silver warrior felt that his opponent's movements were deliberately slow and lazy, taunting him about some obvious difference in skills even though the blonde's speed matched or exceeded his own at every step. None of his vast reservoir of pride rose up to the bait his own mind had conjured, well aware of the type of damage he might sustain from falling into a blind rage.

Before the two of them separated to regroup for another string of attacks, blades still locked from the last strike, Sephiroth drew his right hand from Masamune and made a fist, fire encasing the appendage as he swung a sharp hook for his opponent's temple. In that instant, the blonde's left hand released his sword and rose up, forearm sheathed in ice where their limbs met. The ice cracked but did not break and in the space of a breath Sephiroth wrenched backward, snarling as he strengthened the fire emitting from his fist to melt the ice now surrounding it. With his hand still useless, the SOLDIER leapt back to avoid a forward slash that he would not be able to block with a single hand and turned in the same motion to run, keeping close track of the fleet-footed blonde matching his pace as they circled their unmarked arena. The moment his hand was free, the silver warrior stutter stepped and realigned his body, launching himself toward the incoming elite. Their blades rebounded awkwardly, causing shallow cuts on the nearer cheek of both males even as the duo swung around to strike again.

A quick succession of thrusts and parries rang out, legs braced to absorb the opposing forces, before the blonde dropped his shoulder and changed his attack to an upward slice. Twisting with his usual feline dexterity, the General avoided being gutted and swept out Masamune to counter the follow-up lunge. Electricity crackled along both weapons, surging out to lick at the older SOLDIER's skin as a warning that was noted but went unheeded as Sephiroth allowed fire to envelop his blade. A swell of pure, unrestrained energy swallowed the duo before violently exploding, sending the elites to the ground with short grunts of pain. Wasting no time on standing up on his feet first, Sephiroth planted his right hand against the packed earth to position him as he flipped up into a single-handed handstand and brought his blade around in a low swipe, aiming for his yet-unrecovered opponent. The General found himself unsurprised when the young blonde flipped up and over the attack, landing in a crouch with his weapon poised offensively even as Sephiroth thrust his weight against his right hand and vaulted back to his feet. The silver warrior took a few half-steps backward as the younger SOLDIER rushed forward in a swift strike, deflecting the oncoming weapon on the flat of Masamune's blade. With almost no recovery time, the broadsword came back around for a side swipe and the older elite took two steps to the side to give himself the room necessary to bring his own sword around to block. Uninterested in resorting to solely defensive techniques, the General quickly turned the tables on the other man, pushing back against the sword that connected with his own and changing his block into a forward press that forced the blonde into a semi-defensive stance.

Adrenaline surging in his body, Sephiroth exerted as much pressure as he was able the next time their blades crossed, feeling the subtle recoil in his opponent from the unexpected additional power, and bared his teeth as he followed his attack with another brute-force swing. The blonde continued to fall back over the course of five consecutive strikes before his steps faltered just as the older SOLDIER made a slice for his head. Feline eyes widened with the knowledge that he was unable to redirect the attack enough with the amount of force behind the swing, the only outward appearance of inner panic, but only a few strands of gold were severed from the youth's head as he dropped to the ground and under the arc of the attack. Booted feet slammed into his ankles and Sephiroth stumbled, gracelessly tumbling into the dirt although he did not flail in a feeble attempt to stay upright. Before either SOLDIER could fully orient himself, well aware of the danger that was right next to him, both swords were poised at their opponent's throat to claim victory. A light prick against his abdomen informed the silver warrior that one of the removable blades of that intricate broadsword had been released and was currently waiting to gouge him.

Chest heaving, Sephiroth finally lowered his sword and very nearly smiled for the first time since the start of this mission. Over three months of pent up frustration had finally found its release and the General stood gracefully and sheathed the Masamune with a much smoother motion than he had used to take her out. In turn, the blonde did the same with Tsurugi and turned a mildly amused expression on the older man. Zackary whistled, drawing the silver warrior's attention and causing the elite to raise a silver brow in question. In response, the brunette brought a hand up to rub his nose and winked.

"Never see spars like this anywhere else."

Snorting, the SOLDIER turned his feline gaze on the three Turks, noting with mild distaste that the foolish redhead was one of the individuals left here although that was at least balanced out by Tseng's presence. That did not stop the lank assassin from mouthing off, of course.

"Heh, rickety old man's getting weaker."

Jade eyes narrowed but the silver warrior refused to rise to the bait and the blonde completely ignored the statement as he turned his gaze idly toward the camp. Zackary snorted as Tseng sent a thoughtful glare toward his comrade.

"I take it you wish to test your strength against our military's Silver General, Reno? Very well, I'll allow it should Sephiroth accept the challenge."

Green eyes widened as the already pale young man lost a few shades of color. Satisfied, the silver warrior turned his attention toward the Wutanese Turk and nodded his head although his face remained expressionless.

"Another time, perhaps. I am certain that enough of your time has been wasted, however. Come. Are you hungry?"

The head Turk matched Sephiroth stride for stride as they headed toward the command tent, Zackary and the redhead trailing behind while the former pressed the latter about his good fortune that he still had a pulse. Bringing up the rear was a female Turk whose name escaped the General at the moment, silent and alert. The little blonde stepped away to wander the camp and the small group barely got into the command tent before Sephiroth heard a sharply barked order and had to smother his amusement. The encampment would be completely on their toes again in no time.

The elite had food brought in, courtesy of the few non-military personnel stuck out in the wild with the soldiers, and settled in to converse with the Turks. There was not any word on rebel activity per se, but several problems that the Turks had been encountering on their own missions traced back to the northern continent and more specifically a broad area in this vicinity. Although physically remaining apathetic, the elite nodded at appropriate intervals and mentally breathed a sigh of mixed irritation and relief. On the plus side, this was the first lead he had received, but in turn this meant that he would be staying out in these barren, half-frozen wastelands even longer. The Turks were in this particular situation with him, for now, and the blonde would not be leaving until the very last rebel had fallen. With Fair here as well, Sephiroth supposed he had better suck it up, as the saying went.

The rest of his day went by in a pathetic crawl of useless information intermingled with some light conversation with Zackary while the Turks fanned out to take stock of the encampment. Not once had the young blonde come anywhere near the command outpost, much to the silver warrior's dissatisfaction. It wasn't as though there was a single Shin-Ra employee present who did not know precisely what went on between the little blonde and himself. His SOLDIER firsts in particular always seemed so shocked on the days that both Shin-Ra elites were stationed in the same place and Sephiroth was not walking with a swagger that meant he had just been party to the kind of sexual intercourse that pornography could only hope to mimic. The silver warrior would have been content just to have the younger man in the same room at this point; it had been close to half a year since he had last seen the blonde warrior, what with the youth's own missions almost never leaving him stationed in the same place for long, and frankly he missed the feral, possessive little SOLDIER. Fair kept him from simmering in his bubbling annoyance until the sun fell below the horizon, at which point Sephiroth went to his own tent and settled himself for the night while decidedly not thinking about a certain someone.

The elite only realized that his efforts were in vain when he pulled his sleeping bag over his long frame and paused, faced with undeniable proof that he subconsciously was aware of the teen in the form of his clothing folded neatly beside his makeshift bed. It was dangerous to be undressed during missions such as this one but the moment he knew that his equal was in the vicinity Sephiroth willingly disregarded all of his acquired knowledge. Huffing out a short breath, the silver warrior burrowed down into his bedding and slid a hand under his pillow, locking his fingers around the hilt of the wakizashi he kept hidden there. Common sense told him to at least put his pants back on, yet he made no motion to do so as feline eyes shut and the elite drifted into surprisingly peaceful sleep.

A tug at his leg startled the SOLDIER into abrupt wakefulness and he rotated his torso for the attack before anything more could happen, fully aware of the disadvantage his state put him in. Hands locked his wrists and wrenched, causing the silver warrior to emit a sharp hiss as his blade fell suddenly from his momentarily limp hand to thump uselessly onto the ground. Unfortunately, sleep had discombobulated him and Sephiroth was rendered powerless and flat on his back in the span of less than a breath. Relaxing his body demurely, the silver warrior gave up the struggle instantly and was unsurprised to find a mouth covering his own soon after, prying open his lips and forcibly pressing a probing tongue into his mouth. There were very few men capable of matching the elite's strength, sleep disoriented or not, only two that would dare to enter his quarters as if the area was public, and only one that would cast for physical touch before a single word's utterance.

The mouth above his own retracted with a wet noise of lost suction and Sephiroth took a few deep breaths, the tip of his tongue absently drawing against the mixed saliva coating his lips, as feline eyes gazed up into narrowed azure.

"What strings did you pull to end up here, Cloud?"

The young elite snorted, loosening his grip on the older man's wrists even as he leaned down to tease lips and teeth against the skin just under the silver warrior's chin. Sephiroth arched his neck to accommodate, biting his lower lip as a strong thigh firmly rubbed against his groin through the thick standard issue sleeping gear.

"Nothing."

The word was mumbled against his flesh as gloved hands retracted from his wrists to hastily shove the bedding out of the way. Murmuring unintelligible praise as his hips jerked with the desire to rub against the stimulation between his legs, the silver warrior brought his own hands up to begin unbuckling and unzipping the armor and clothing that was now hindering his desires. The teen growled into the SOLDIER's clavicle, the rough leather of his gloves kneading into the bare flesh of Sephiroth's thighs, pushing them apart to the point that the silver warrior was left no choice but to settle his legs on either side of the younger man's body. With a violent, barked exhale, the blonde reared back only far enough to have room to bring his hands up to his face, one at a time, to bite into the fabric of his gloves and yank them off. The leather pieces were carelessly tossed to the side as they were removed, one landing almost soundlessly on the floor while the other hit something that created a sharp metallic twang. Feline eyes turned to place the disturbance before the silver warrior arched up with a silent groan as, using nothing but his teeth and tongue, his little SOLDIER worked on giving him a few bruises that would not actually be fully faded by the morning. This type of desire to claim was a behavior that the elite had grown accustomed to some time ago and it was a rather simple thing that Sephiroth found he could thoroughly enjoy, even with Zackary's crude commentary whenever he caught sight of one of those bruises.

Fumbling with one of the many buckles that comprised the harnesses and belts on the younger man's stylized uniform, the elite pushed his head into the uncomfortable bedding under him and shut his eyes, no longer interested in where that glove landed or what it had possibly knocked over. Above him, the younger man nuzzled into his neck as tan hands locked at the silver warrior's hips, thumbs rubbing little circles right over the bone hidden beneath firm muscle. The rest of the teen's fingers were locked into the pale flesh of Sephiroth's buttocks, anchoring the man's lower torso into a single position. At this rate, there was no question that Sephiroth was going to be ending his work-induced celibacy while simultaneously gaining an uncomfortable gait until he could make it to the medical tent tomorrow to acquire a restore materia.

"I don't -ngh- have anything."

Hands continued to rub against him, pressing firmly into pale flesh, but the elite knew that he had been heard when insistent fingers resisted the urge to tease into his body no matter how high the desire to. The blonde emitted a low, rolling growl and bit into the silver warrior's neck more than hard enough to bruise but without yet piercing flesh, earning a sharp gasp for the action. Nimble fingers worked the younger man's shirt from his pants, unzipping the black cotton and leaving it to hang open, exposing hard muscular lines and narrow hips. With quick hands, the elite shoved open standard issue military pants and pushed them down to the middle of corded thighs, groaning as the younger man took his invitation and aligned their bodies accordingly. The rough fabric of those pants chafed against his inner thighs, but Sephiroth made no mention of the irritation as hips ground down into his own. This was by far not the most pleasant place or situation to finally sedate his hormones, but the SOLDIER could not have cared less. Currently he was thoroughly aroused and had his proven equal grinding against him with no intention to let him last, judging from the pace and strength of his thrusts, and even though it stung a little bit because of all of the non-lubricated friction, the atmosphere was perfect in this exhausting environment.

With a low growl of his own, the silver warrior slid his arms around the blonde's torso under the dark fabric, fingers clawing into the sinew of the broad back above as pale legs laced around narrow hips for leverage. For a bare fraction of a second the elite contemplated pushing for a more dominant position, but the thought was gone as soon as it entered his mind as unnecessary and distracting, not to mention likely to start a more aggressive fight. Words were equally intrusive to his state of heavy arousal, to the point that his mind did not bother to form any coherent thoughts while his breathing was labored and his body taut against the younger man. Soft, cat-like sounds interspersed the silver warrior's rapid pants for the next few minutes, joining the hushed, almost lupine growls of the more compact SOLDIER as hips ground together in nearly frenetic need. Lips trailed back up the pale column of his throat with a few sharp nips before Sephiroth tilted his head and sought out the blonde's mouth. The press of their lips this time was less like a kiss and more like a desperate stifling of sharper noises into the other's flesh so as to not bring the attention of the night guards to the tent. The sharp spike in his pleasure caused that meshing of mouths to no longer be enough and, in a frantic attempt to silence himself, the older SOLDIER jerked his head back as one long-fingered hand yanked the cotton top partially down corded arms and, with a quick gasp inward, arched up and bit into his equal's muscular shoulder. Liquid rushed into his mouth, heavy with a coppery tang, and it was all the elite could do to clench his eyes shut and ride out his much needed orgasm.

When the high finally ended, relaxing all of his muscles in bone-deep bliss, Sephiroth purred and laved at the open wound on his Cloud's shoulder. For several minutes the blonde remained braced rigidly against collapsing on the larger male before he emitted a quiet sigh and leaned back. Releasing the wound and untangling his limbs, the silver warrior allowed his head to drop back against the bedding below him as jade eyes slit open. His lidded feline gaze followed his equal's motions as the man eyed him, taking in his post-coital splayed-limb sprawl, before Cloud deftly pulled off his top, completely disregarding the bite mark as it stretched. Sephiroth bristled as rough fabric wiped up the majority of the mess pooled on his abdomen and then the younger man subsequently tossed his black ribbed shirt to the side. After a moment the blonde turned and removed his boots, untangling his pants from his legs and dropping them messily to the side soon after. Sephiroth tilted his head to look for his wakizashi, bringing the blade back under his pillow as he turned to resettle on his stomach, unsurprised to feel the younger SOLDIER alight on his back and bring the bedcovering up around them both. For several minutes there was nothing but silence before lips lazily pressed against the exposed flesh of a pale shoulder.

"We're due for time off."

Blinking, the silver warrior tilted his head to allow one feline eye direct visual of the teen weighing him down.

"Oh?"

Luminous azure eyes were shut, although the glow was still visible behind thin eyelids.

"Nn. After this mission we have a full two weeks."

Chuckling, the silver warrior closed his own eyes and relaxed into the bedding.

"Where would we be going, then?"

Lips grazed his shoulder again as the short elite responded.

"I hear that the Shinra Mansion in Costa del Sol is empty right now."

Snorting, Sephiroth flexed his limbs shallowly as he interjected.

"You know I hate the beach."

A series of sharp nips against his shoulder blade met his comment before the blonde replied.

"Who said you were going to the beach? I just want you hot and naked."

Muffling a bark of laughter into the pillow under his head, Sephiroth reached his free hand around to lazily swat at the younger man. Undeterred, the blonde SOLDIER continued.

"I haven't had you completely alone in over seven months, Sephiroth; don't expect to make it out of bed at all those weeks."

Although he had not recovered yet, the thought did pleasantly arouse him, causing the taller man to drift into daydreams of what they might do. It would be much too hot for sparring, anyway, and the elite _liked_ the kind of sexuality his equal had brought into his life. Costa del Sol might be painfully hot, but the mansion had central air and he would have a full fourteen days with Cloud all to himself. It then occurred to the older man that it might be prudent to take a restore materia with them; now that the frantic need was gone, his blonde was likely to make all of their next encounters last for far longer.

Although his expression was hidden by a combination of the pillow and his hair, the silver warrior pressed the length of his body back against his equal with a nearly inaudible mumble.

"We don't have to use a bed."

Lips pressed against his spine directly between his shoulder blades before the younger man hummed appreciatively. Breathing hitched, the older SOLDIER parted his knees and tightened his fingers around the hilt of the sword still clutched in his left hand. The blonde groaned into the flesh of Sephiroth's back, hands bunching up the bedding on either side of the silver warrior's hips as corded limbs nestled between long legs.

"Keep that up and you'll be walking like you spent a day on chocobo back even after healing."

Purring, the elite canted his hips and sucked in a sharp breath as a hand held his body in that position. The low growl he received was well worth the threat of pain that would undoubtedly cripple him after the onslaught of pleasure.

"I'll hold you to that."


End file.
